Photo by Joanna Rose Aglibot
By Joanna Rose Aglibot
SAN ANTONIO, Zambales –Asserting that dredging activities could destroy their source of livelihood, residents in Barangay San Miguel in this town made sure to block the project being pushed by some local officials.
On Monday (June 26), San Miguel residents did not back down from opposing the dredging of the Pamatawan River when they attended the public consultation led by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.
Fisherman Gregorio Calmerin, 50, was among those who expressed their fear for the ill effects of the project.
“May mga mangingisda po kasi na umaasa lang sa tabi at umaasa lang sa ilog, kasi ang ilog po pag tag-ulan po dun po kami kumukuha ng aming pagkakakitaan (There are fishermen whose livelihood primarily depends on the river, especially during the rainy season),” Calmerin said during the consultation.
In an attempt to convince the protesters, Ebdane laid out the economic benefits of the dredging projects in the province, even saying these are backed by a proper study.
But even after he promised to help the community whose livelihood would be affected by the project, he saw unanimous support against the dredging project.
Ebdane then told them, “Kung ayaw ninyo, gagawin kong permanente na walang magdedredge diyan. Kahit sino, kahit ang susunod na administrasyon hindi na makakapagdredge (If you don’t want it, I will make it permanent that no one will dredge there. No one, not even the next administration, will be able to dredge).
Officials from the village and municipality also welcomed the decision of the residents but expressed their fear of flooding in the area.
“Ang problema po natin ang pagbaha dito kaya tatayo po tayo sa sarili natin dahil si Governor alam niyo po binibigay niya sa atin lahat yan pero ngayon po titignan natin na sana hindi mangyari yung kinakatakutan natin (Our problem is the flooding here, so we will stand up for ourselves because the Governor, you know, gives us all that, but now we will see, and I hope that what we fear will not happen,” said Mayor Edzel Lonzanida.
Residents in the said village had already staged several protests since March after seeing at least two dredging vessels allegedly drawing black sand from the waters off this town. FREEPORT INSIDER
